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2017 has been declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations, which should promote a change in politics, business practices and customer behaviour to foster a more sustainable tourism sector.

Sustainable tourism is committed to the environment and to the autochthonous culture, seeking to produce the least possible impact on these, while at the same time contributing to generating income and employment for the local population.

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as: “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities“.

This commemoration is a great opportunity to analyse how tourism is affected by climate change, to advance in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the sector, and to increase efforts at adapting to the inevitable impacts of global warming.

Every year, more than one billion tourists travel across the world, generating jobs and resources for millions of people. Tourism is a crucial sector for the economies of developed and developing countries both on a local and national level.

Having a stable climate is fundamental for the correct development of tourism, above all other sectors of activity. The tourism sector is suffering the increasingly serious effects of climate change, such as storms, heat waves, droughts, a rising sea level that threatens coastal resorts and a lack of snow that is affecting ski stations.

The World Tourism Organization deems that “tourism is responsible for 5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Of this percentage, the carbon footprint of hotel establishments makes up 20% of the total, including heating and air conditioning, refrigeration in bars, restaurants and heated swimming pools.”

Transport for tourism reasons whether by plane, car or train generates the sector’s largest percentage of emissions. It is important to point out that transport emissions can be reduced by prioritising the use of trains for continental journeys.

We need to become aware and act to improve all the negative aspects affecting those of us who work in the tourism sector, with each of us making a commitment to our future.

I wish you all a very happy holiday period. We’ll be back in September!

The camping sector is growing year by year and for some time now there has been interest in Glamping, the subject of this post.

Glamping or glamorous camping is a growing trend worldwide. It combines open-air camping with the luxury and comfort found in the best hotels. The expression, coined in the early years of this century, is a combination of the words “glamour” and “camping”.

Glamping is a new trend that allows holidaymakers to enjoy nature with all the amenities of a hotel, making it possible to enjoy both camping and glamour.

Tree-top houses, yurts, teepees, domes, igloos, cabooses, barns, eco-pods, luxury caravans and safari tents are among the many glamping options available. Let’s take a brief look at each of them.

Tree houses aren’t just for children! Constructed on the branches of a tree, a tree house is a wooden structure that uses the shape of the trunk and the strongest branches to support a platform.

Yurts were traditionally used as shelter from the long cold winters in Mongolia. They have a broad cylindrical base and are constructed using expanding wooden lattice wall sections.

Teepees, originally used by nomadic tribes in America, are a simple but ingenious combination of a few construction elements. The framework consists of a number of poles forming a triangular structure tied together at the top.

Domes are modern constructions that may be built using a combination of materials such as wood, iron and steel or high-tech fabrics such as high-resistance PVC-polyester.

Igloos are dome-shaped dwellings, originally built with blocks of snow by the Inuit, the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada and the United States.

Cabooses were used as accommodation on trains in the past. They were attached to the end of a freight train and served many purposes, including shelter for the crew and other passengers.

Barns were originally farm buildings used to store hay or grain and house animals such as cows, pigs, chickens and horses. Today, however, some have been restored and refurbished to provide luxury accommodation.

Eco-pods are the latest glamping option. Made of wood, they use local, natural or recycled materials throughout. They provide excellent protection against wind and rain and offer a cosy, welcoming atmosphere inside.

The concept of the safari tent can probably be traced back hundreds of years. Kings, nomads, hunters and tourists have all made use of this practical, portable accommodation. Today safari tents are the main type of accommodation used for luxury safaris in Africa.

Glamping on water implies either a structure floating directly on water or one supported above the surface on columns or pillars. It may be an anchored houseboat, a yacht or a floating cabin.

Who chooses this type of holiday? 65% of those using this type of accommodation and its followers on social networks are women aged 25 to 45. They are the ones who usually make the decision to try this type of experience.

The popularity of this type of holiday shows that camping in the heart of nature is not incompatible with a sophisticated lifestyle.

Today’s post is dedicated to the millennial generation of travellers, young people born between 1980 and 2005, as in the near future they will represent half of all tourists, reaching a total of 320 million. These young people are bent on learning about other cultures, getting to know local people manners and discovering exotic destinations. Their main motto is: travelling is a part of experience.

Their destinations are mostly traditional places in nature, less protected remote surroundings. For this reason, companies that operate in the tourism field must develop sustainable projects to avoid harmful impacts on their destinations. How can it be done? The solution is to apply sustainable practices. Sustainable tourism is committed to causing the least possible impact on the environment and on local culture.

Millennial travellers feel a great desire to share everything they see, in a very original and incredible way, by showing unique places, original food, impressive landscapes and scenes with local people, through their own social media pages. For this reason, it is necessary to raise awareness about sustainable practices, as millennial travellers are influencing travel trends with their mentality based on environmental preservation. The tourism industry must fulfill with the demands that are of the utmost importance, offering them products and services that support their cause to prevent negative reactions of any non-sustainable practices they may come across.

For that purpose, in Balliu we are aware of the millennial generation best practices and we offer 100% recyclable products, without causing any harm to the environment in our production processes, as confirmed by our ISO 14001 certification.

Once again, we have visited two outstanding industrial design fairs for our sector.

Heimtextil was a chance to see all the latest trends and innovations in textiles. This year’s title, “Explorations”, invited visitors to travel with their senses. We would highlight four styles for decorating businesses and restaurants that will be popular this year.

The “Abissi” style is inspired by the ocean depths, featuring deep-sea shades of blue, coral and rose.

The style “Nature and artifice” blends elements taken from nature with high-tech inserts. There are contrasts between greens and greys, with flashes of orange to break up this harmony.

The “Psico bit” style is a hallucinatory journey with an arithmetic effect, using jarring colours such as yellow, hot pink, violet and lime green.

Finally, there is “Africa Punk”, which combines nature and urban space. The colours used in this style are yellow, red and burgundy.

Patterns using natural motifs such as flowers, branches and landscapes, fauna of the Amazon, flamingos, toucans, parrots and tigers will be all around us this year.

The leading lights of the sector have opted to rework existing designs, showing a preference for timelessness. We would highlight the Dream Machine stool by designer Eugeni Quitllet, or his Ibiza chair, inspired by traditional forms. The legendary Thonet chair, a classic in furniture design, has been renovated in form and finish, with sophisticated results.

Textiles continue to employ elegant patterns with neutral tones, following the influence of the trends we observed at Heimtextil.

Metallic materials are still in fashion, being used both in supports and on surfaces.

Finally, we come to the item of furniture most viewed at the fair, the sofa. The choice of this item indicates the desire to provide a place for people to meet in comfort and safety. We saw them in different shapes, sizes, colours and finishes, noting the modular models that make it easy to combine pieces to suit different locations.

With this in mind, we have presented a collection for this year inspired by vintage models. It is a modular sofa group inspired in the styles of the 1970s, with rounded, natural forms. Its elegant, neutral colours are intended to blend into the surroundings and create a perfect combination that evokes nature and harmony. The more daring can add a dash of colour by adding cushions with different geometric finishes and bolder colours that give character and personality to the space.

After a good year in the sector, the catering industry has opted to rehabilitate its facilities in order to offer greater comfort and elegance.

The terraces and pools will be transformed to progressively become environments in which to offer users a space for recreation and relaxation, according to their needs.

The key is to find the most suitable style to suit every need. To do this, an appropriate selection of outdoor furniture is fundamental.

The products must provide a designer and modern touch without falling victim to temporary fashions, so as to be timeless and, therefore, enhance their longevity.

In our new catalogue, you will find a wide range of colours, warmer ones for more Zen-style environments and bright colours for spaces with a more “cool” style, as well as the new “Iris” lounger, which has been manufactured with an innovative aluminium profile to ensure maximum functionality and durability.

Finally, the piece of furniture of the year will be the stool designed for the most chic terrace and bar areas, and even beaches, so we have expanded our Diana collection with an aluminium stool that you can find in a wide range of colours to match different settings.